making news on this tuesday, september 21st. >> tough love. voters confront the president, saying they are deeply disappointed in him. chief concern, the economy. deeply sorry. a group usually called in to fight fires like this admits to causing it, as it still rages out of control. and dancing debut. after weeks of waiting, the stars waltz and cha-cha their way through a nerve-racking first night. and good morning, everybody. thanks for being with us today. voter frustration over money woes is boiling over. and some americans had a chance to tell the president exactly how they feel. >> that concern comes at the same time as some surprising

news about the recession. emily schmidt has more on that from washington this morning. good morning, emily. >> reporter: vinita and rob, good morning to you. a group of economists now says the recession is over. that it ended last summer, act six months after president obama took office. now, as we approach midterm elections, the president is working to convince voters the economy is still headed in the right direction. the recession is over. the national bureau of economic research declared monday, saying the longest downturn since the great depression actually ended in june 2009. but many americans say seeing is believing. and they don't believe just yet. >> is the american dream dead for me? >> i'm exhausted. i'm exhausted of defending you. defending your administration. >> reporter: president obama faced frustrated and worried voters at a town hall meeting on the economy. and he urged patience. >> we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives. >> right. >> quite frankly, it's starting to knock on our door.

is this my new reality? >> my goal here is not to convince you that everything is where it needs to be. it's not. that's why i ran for president. but what i am saying is we're moving in the right direction. >> reporter: this year, the economy has stabilized. but unemployment is higher, at 9.6%. mr. obama acknowledged the recession remains real for millions of people that are out of work. a recent poll shows 79% of americans believe the u.s. economy is in a recession now. >> for the average american, none of this matters. not until we create enough jobs to bring down unemployment. and we're still a good 6, 12 months away from that. >> reporter: this morning, federal reserve policymakers will meet to see if the fed will take more steps to strengthen the economy. this is the last session before the midterm elections. they are just now six weeks from today. rob and vinita? >> important meeting today. thanks, emily. the utah national guard is apologizing for its role in

starting a fast-moving wildfire near salt lake city. at least 4,000 acres and counting have burned, as firefighters are battling to get the blaze under control near herriman. diana alvear reports. >> reporter: more than 1,600 homes were evacuated. at least four homes were destroyed. >> we have active operations going on. it's only as good as mother nature will let us be right now. >> reporter: the fire was sparked sunday at a utah national guard shooting range. 50-mile-per-hour winds spread the flames quickly. >> i could hardly run to the car, i was so scared. >> reporter: monday, the utah national guard commander apologized, saying they did not check weather advisories before proceeding with the firing exercise. >> our job as the national guard, our mission, is to support our citizens, not to endanger them. and we failed in that. >> reporter: as firefighters battle the blaze, some of their tools in their arsenal has come into question. a federal judge has ordered the

u.s. forest service to review its plan to use fire retardant. >> we've seen major fish kills when retardant bomber runs have been made and the retardant has ended up in creeks. hundreds of hundreds of fish killed, including threatened and endangered fish. >> reporter: while the u.s. forest service tells abc news it will comply with the court's ruling, it defended its use of fire retardant, saying, we believe that firefighters can use it to help protect lives, property and critical natural resources from unwanted wildfires, with minimal risk to fish and wildlife. for now, they can keep using the retardant. in utah, it's being used with bulldozers and ground crews to push the fire back. diana alvear, abc news, los angeles. nato says a helicopter crash has killed nine military service members today in afghanistan. it happened in the northwestern part of the country, in zabul

province. they do not provide nationalities for the victims. the nine deaths make this year the deadliest of the afghan war. at least 529 people have been killed so far. with the u.n. general assembly under way in new york, u.s. peace talks are in focus. the israeli and palestinian presidents got together on the sidelines yesterday. the israelis will be put under a bit of pressure. the mediators involved in the peace process, will call on israel to extend its moratorium on building west bank settlements. the settlement freeze is due to expire at the end of the months. in an effort to repeal the don't ask, don't tell policy, covering gays in the military, faces a crucial vote today in the senate. it repeals part of the defense spending bill. the procedure will vote being taken today will allow the bill to move forward. but it does need some republican support. that's what brought lady gaga to maine yesterday. she spoke at a rally to pressure

the gop senators to support the repeal. >> doesn't it seem to be that don't ask, don't tell, is backwards? doesn't it seem to be based on the constitution of the united states that we're penalizing the wrong soldier. >> she went on to suggest that a policy should target soldiers who are not comfortable serving with gay soldiers. the fbi is investigating a shooting incident at ft. bliss, texas. a gunman entered a convenient store and began shooting. it was an emotional moment at the kennedy space center overnight. the shuttle "discovery" was moved to the launch pad for the final time. "discovery" is set to liftoff november 1st. "endeavour" will follow in february, to wrap up 30 years of shuttle flight. construction workers building a substation in an los angeles suburb have stumbled on a treasure trove of fossils,

dating back 1.5 million years. 1,500 bone fragments have been found. the saber tooth of a giant cat was fossilized biting a horse. the discovery should shed light on the climate and ecosystem of the area during that time period. it's time, now, for this morning's weather from around the nation. another wet day in south texas, with heavy rain and flooding from austin to corpus christi. wet and windy. showers and thunderstorms in arizona, new mexico and montana. and some morning frost advisories in upstate new york and new england. >> just 69 in boston. 74 in new york. and 77 in baltimore. 90s from atlanta to dallas. 85 in kansas city. a wet 87 in chicago. and 83 in minneapolis. phoenix hits 103. salt lake city, 81. boise, 77. when we come back on this tuesday, the fish fight you could soon see at the seafood counter. are engineered fish safe to eat?

the government makes its decision. and in hollywood news, lindsay lohan could be returning to a very familiar place, the county jail. plus, the hoff, the situation, and many more shake their stuff on the first night of "dancing with the stars."

and getting back to today's top business story. the recession is over. a group of economists has concluded that the u.s. recession actually ended back in june of 2009.

it says the economy has stabilized since then. the announcement comes before the federal reserve meets today, to discuss ways to boost the still sagging economy. investors around the world are watching that important fed meeting today. tokyo's nikkei average gained ground early. but wound up losing 23 points. hong kong's hang seng is up in late trading. in london, the ftse opened higher. here in the u.s., the dow gained 145 points yesterday. the nasdaq index rose 40 points. walmart's new growth plan involves, well, getting small. the retailer is planning to open relatively small locations in big cities. the new stores would be bigger than most drugstores but still smaller than supermarkets. walmart has been dealing with sluggish sales here in the u.s. this morning, a sign of the slow housing market, even among the priciest of protos. this beverly hills estate, once home to tycoon william randolph hurst, got a $70 million price

drop. that brings it to a more reasonable asking price. it was on the market for three years at the $165 million price tag. when we come back on this tuesday morning, nfl team and a city in shock today over a popular player's suicide. and rob's beloved saints battle the 49ers on "monday night football." >> who dat? when i had my heart attack, i couldn't believe it. it was a real shock.

i remember being at the hospital thinking, "i should have done more to take care of myself." you should've. that's why i'm exercising more now. eating healthier. and i also trust my heart to lipitor. [ male announcer ] when diet and exercise are not enough, adding lipitor may help. lipitor is a cholesterol-lowering medication that is fda approved to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in patients who have heart disease or risk factors for heart disease. lipitor is backed by over 18 years of research. lipitor is not for everyone, including people with liver problems and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. you need simple blood tests to check for liver problems. tell your doctor if you are taking other medications, or if you have any muscle pain or weakness. this may be a sign of a rare but serious side effect. dean will never forget what he went through. don't take your health for granted. [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor.

[ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. vo: it's america's egg farmers who feed millions in need... vo: ....it's families who are active in their communities... ...and it's kids who learn the value of nutritious foods. clint hickman: go to goodeggproject.org to learn more. a major highway near atlanta briefly became a makeshift runway when a small plane was forced to make an emergency landing. the plane touched down on i-85 during the evening rush, blocking several lanes and backing up traffic for miles. amazingly, no cars were hit. and not a single person was injured. parts of i-80, flooding is possible from chicago to des moines and omaha.

and i-94 into milwaukee and madison. i-10 will also be flooded from houston to san antonio, as well as i-35, from austin to loredo. wet on i-40, from albuquerque to flagstaff. if you are flying today, expect airport delays in dmoit, chicago, kansas city and houston. we're not exactly sure when the fda will make a final ruling about the sale of genetically-engineered food. at question in all of this is whether salmon that's been altered to grow faster than normal, is actually safe to eat. john hendren has details. >> reporter: supporters call it fast-growing, tasty and beautiful. >> people say they're a very attractive fish. we happen to think they're lovely fish. >> reporter: critics call it frankenfish. they asked the fda not to approve genetically-altered salmon like this. >> no harm from consumptions of food from aquaadvantage salmon, i think the answer to that is no. >> reporter: this is a wild salmon. and this, a genetically-altered

one. scientists found that adding genetic material from pacific salmon and an eel-like fish, helps the atlantic salmon grow around the clock. wild fish are running out. and the genetically altered fish is safe. >> food from aqua advantage salmon is as safe as food from other atlantic salmon. >> reporter: but what if altered fish escape? it happened with farm salmon and genetically-engineered crops like canola, now spreading wild in north dakota. the worry, the altered salmon would overtake the wild fish and take over. the company says that won't happen. >> they're all sterile. and they're grown in facilities. >> reporter: if a fish is approved, you might not know you're buying it. the fda is expected to require no special label. john hendren, abc news, washington. a convicted sex offender has been arrested in the murder of a north carolina police chief's daughter. valerie hamilton's body was found in a self-storage unit on saturday.

her father appeared on "good morning america" yesterday, with an emotional appeal to help solve his daughter's murder. hours later, fbi agents and u.s. marshals took michael harvey into custody. he will be arraigned later today. lindsay lohan could be headed back to jail. a judge issued an arrest warrant yesterday, after the actress acknowledged failing a drug test less than a month after leaving rehab. lohan was allowed to remain free, pending a hearing friday, to determine if she, in fact, did violate her probation. over the summer, the actress served 14 days of a 90-day jail sentence. the benner have broncos is mourning the apparent suicide of one of its players. kenny mckinley was found dead at his home yesterday. investigators believe he died because of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. his coach said mckinley would be remembered for his smile that could light up any room. for sports highlights,

here's will selva at espn news. >> good morning. out west, "monday night football" between the niners and the saints. drew brees and company were all fired up. a 19-14 lead in the fourth quarter. with the niners punting, seven minutes to go. uh-oh. reggie bush, muffing the punt and recovers. would have to get help off the field. niners now down 22-14. second and goal from the 7. frank gore runs it in. niners now down by two. they have to go for two. two-point conversion. alex smith. vernon davis for the two-point conversion is good, after being reviewed. game tied at 22-22. here's drew brees. 39 seconds to go. second and ten, at the niners' 48. marquis colston at the second and 20. two seconds to go. 37-yard field goal attempt to win it. you betcha. the saints move to 2-0, while

the niners fall to 0-2. the niners with four turnovers and a safety. joe torre and don mattingly, returning to yankee stadium to honor george steinbrenner during pregame ceremonies. mattingly will take over of the dodgers next season. they unveil the memorial for the boss. bottom of six, curtis granderson. that one's not coming back. that's a bomb. second homer of the game. three-run shot. 21st of the year. yankees lead 8-4. top nine, mariano rivera forces matt joyce to ground out. the yankees win it, 8-6. that will do it for this espn news update. now, back to new york and "america this morning." michael douglas walked the red carpet here in new york last night, just weeks, of course, after announcing he's battling throat cancer. the academy award winner was promoting his new film "wall

street: money never sleeps." it is getting some very good reviews. well, the ballroom is back ohm for business. and so far, a dirty dancer is soaring above the competition. the season premiere of "dancing with the stars" left actress jennifer grey with a nice top score of 24, thanks to her vie knees waltz, to a song from "dirty dancing." sarah palin was a no-show. but daughter, bristol got kudos from the judges. >> after five days of rehearsal, "jersey shore' star, mike "the situation," ended up in a three-way tie for last place. we'll see the first elimination. plus, santana will perform live. >> it's early. have faith in the situation. coming up next, the stories we'll be following today, including the effort to get another raging wildfire under control.

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2009. it was the longest recession since world war ii. there is a crucial vote in the senate today dealing with the don't ask, don't tell policy for gays in the military. a defense spending bill that includes a repeal of the policy must receive 60 votes to move forward. president clinton's global initiative begins today in new york. the focus of this year's meeting is speeding up disaster relief to haiti and pakistan. secretary of state clinton will announce support for clean-burning stoves in africa. and a big honor today for the world's most famous fairy. tinkerbell is getting her own star on the hollywood walk of fame. the character made her debut on the pages of "peter pan." coming up later on "good morning america," we'll hear more from former president clinton, about global matters, also something close to his heart. for some of you, your local news is coming up next. >> for everyone else, students' write to ceos and get quite a response.

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and finally this morning, ask and you shall receive. some elementary schoolchildren in tennessee were pleasantly

surprised to see those words ring true. >> after carefully putting pen to paper, donations are pouring in to their skash-strapped school from across the country. here's steve osunsami. >> reporter: it began with a home work assignment. >> hello. my name is isaac. >> reporter: the fifth graders were told to write letters to captain of industry. they wroe ceos and cfos and told them the abcs of attending school in inner city memphis. >> unfortunately most of the books in my school's library are falling apart. >> reporter: they never dreamed they would hear back. but they did. >> i walked in the library. and i saw so many books just stacked up, on one, big table. and i was really astonished. >> reporter: first, large corporations started sending them thousands of new textbooks. then, hewlett-packard gave them three, new computer labs and more than $100,000 in new computers. that tells you if you're right? the head of a sportings goods

corporation sent them $30,000 in jump ropes and basketballs. but they're still exercising in a basement that's also used a storage room. tristan billing wrote the company that built the new yankees stadium, the rock 'n' roll hall of fame. and they're now building the students a $50,000 playground. >> the hardest part was writing it neatly because we had to make sure it was almost perfect. >> reporter: the teachers here have taught the students that they have to do more than just ask for things. they have to explain their need. this is where they plan to build the playground. students here wrote that they needed more exercise. the head of the company told us that he does read all his mail. >> i have a 10-year-old son, now 11, who is in sixth grade. when i read the letter, it reminded me of the fact that i have a fifth grader of my own. >> reporter: the students tell us they feel fortunate that so many people cared and listened. they certainly learned the power of the pen. steve osunsa